The rains have ceased- for now. Starting Tuesday we’re going to have some more storms so I thought it was time to get more soil and get to work.
I went to my local garden center to get my winter herbs and plants. Now that the wet season has begun its time to plan for the big 4×4 bed that used to have fava beans.
I’m thinking a multi-crop bed with Pac Choi in the middle and romaine on one end and scallions on the other. Romaine and scallions I’m going to grow by seed, as I think I know what has killed my lettuce on the top bed- but that’s another post.
Besides lovely plants the garden center had another attraction
He was a very good boy. As his owner informed me- he’s not fat, he’s fluffy.
Many bags of soil later, I returned home to less time than I’d hoped I’d have to get things in the ground. As romantic as gardening in the dark sounds, I think I’ll just be smart and finish up tomorrow.
The number one herb I use most in the kitchen but do not grow is dill, so I thought I’d remedy that.
Luckily the dill plants were beautiful and so was the pottery. See, dill is one of those herbs which doesn’t play too well with others, so it grows better in a pot. And if you want a lot of dill, it better be a big pot.
Dill likes sun, but cooler temps. I had a dill plant in summer, which was a huge mistake, got very buggy, this one should do well.
Into the full sun bed I put some winter savory
Savory is a really nice herb that most people don’t use regularly. Perfect for stews and winter dishes, also nice to pickle with.
I cleared the chives and dead tarragon, and replaced them with a little cilantro, a medium lemon balm, and a tarragon who’s been put in plant jail.
See- when I pulled the dead tarragon I found that the roots were almost as bad as mint, and had taken over half the bed. That was some backbreaking work, and I’m not doing that again so into plant jail with you!
(In retrospect I should have put the lemon balm in a pot too- but as I am growing it to make mosquito repellant, I don’t mind if it gets over grown.)
(Mark my words I am going to regret that decision it’s a mint)
My last bit of work before it gets dark was to replace some of the spinach and Swiss chard.
Now the voids have new plants.
The Swiss chard variety that looked the best in the store was called “pink lipstick” and had pink roots!
Pink roots!!!
I have more work for tomorrow- the Pac Choi awaits. Though I’ll wait to sow the seeds til after the deluge, so they don’t get washed away.
The 4×4 bed has laid fallow for too long!
Soon.
The Neanderthal Gardens 